Less than a week before Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump held rival events in the swing states of Wisconsin and North Carolina, where both are battling for voters undecided.

Harris called on Americans to “stop pointing fingers” as she tried to move past comments from President Joe Biden in which he appeared to call Donald Trump supporters “trash.”

Meanwhile, Trump jumped into the passenger seat of a white garbage truck bearing his name to draw attention to Biden’s comments.

So far, more than 50 million Americans have already voted, according to the University of Florida Election Lab. That includes about 29.3 million in-person votes and about 26 million mail-in ballots.

What are the latest poll updates?

The latest polls from The Economist/YouGov and TIPP Insights, released Wednesday, show Harris with a slight lead of just one percentage point, with 44% of voters supporting her, compared to 43% for Trump.

In another poll from the Washington Post and George Mason University, also released Wednesday, voters expressed concerns about how Trump might react if he lost, recalling the 2020 election when his defeat sparked the riots in January 6 at the Capitol.

Of more than 5,000 registered voters in key battleground states, 57 percent said they were “very” or “somewhat” worried that Trump’s supporters could turn violent if he loses. In contrast, only 31 percent thought Harris supporters would react the same way.

Additionally, according to FiveThirtyEight’s national poll Wednesday, Harris continues to lead nationally by about 1.4 points. This lead, however, remains within the margin of error, which indicates that the race remains very competitive.

In swing states – critical states that could determine the outcome of the election – the race is even tighter. The key battleground states are Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin and Nevada.

According to FiveThirtyEight’s daily poll, Harris’ narrow lead in Michigan narrowed from a margin of 0.2 points to 1 point. She also has a slight advantage in Nevada. In Wisconsin, its lead grew to 0.8 points.

On the other hand, Donald Trump holds a slight advantage in Pennsylvania, going from 0.2 points to 0.4 points. Its lead in North Carolina grew from 1.3 points to 1.1 points.

Trump gained ground in Arizona, where he currently leads Harris by 2.2 points, and in Georgia, where he has a 1.8 point lead.

In six of the seven swing states, the candidates are within two points of each other, matching the margin of error in the polls, putting each state head to head just days before the election. Although Trump leads Arizona by 2.1 points, that difference is still very close to the three percentage point margin of error.

What was Kamala Harris doing on Wednesday?

Harris held rallies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

She emphasized unity and common ground. “I’m not trying to score political points,” the vice president said. “I’m looking to progress.”

Furthermore, the White House hastened to explain President Biden’s “garbage” gaffe.

The controversy began Tuesday when Biden joined a campaign call organized by the Hispanic advocacy group Voto Latino. During the call, Biden criticized a comedian’s remark at Sunday’s rally at Madison Square Garden, during which Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

“The only trash I see floating around out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and un-American,” Biden said. “This is completely contrary to everything we have done and been.”

Before boarding Air Force Two for her flight to Raleigh, Harris told reporters that she disagreed with “any criticism of people based on their voting choices.”

“I will represent all Americans, including those who do not vote for me,” she added.

As Harris rallied Wednesday, she was confronted by pro-Palestinian protesters at all three of her events.

“We all want the war in Gaza to end and the hostages to be released, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that is heard and known,” Harris said in Wisconsin. “And everyone has the right to be heard, but right now, I’m speaking.”

Harris’ supporters erupted at her comment, a reference to what she said to then-Vice President Mike Pence during their debate in 2020. The backlash largely drowned out the protesters.

What was Donald Trump doing on Wednesday?

Trump walked down the steps of the Boeing 757 he was traveling on and got into the passenger seat of a white garbage truck that also bore his name.

“How do you like my garbage truck?” » said Trump, wearing an orange and yellow security vest over his white shirt and red tie. “It’s in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.”

Trump and other Republicans faced backlash after Tony Hinchcliffe’s reference to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

The former president distanced himself from the comedian but did not go so far as to denounce his comments. He also said he had no need to apologize to Puerto Ricans.

“I don’t know anything about the comedian,” Trump said. “I don’t know who he is. I’ve never seen him. I heard he made a statement, but it was a statement he made. He’s an actor, what can I tell you? I don’t know anything about him. A Trump spokesperson said the joke did not reflect his views, but the former president has not spoken about it himself.

“I love Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico loves me,” Trump said from the garbage truck.

He ended his brief appearance by telling reporters: “I hope you enjoyed this garbage truck. Thank you so much.”

“(The truck scene) became a pretty viral moment among Trump supporters,” Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro reported.

However, “voters here simply say they are disgusted by the rhetoric this campaign has evolved into…and they are making sure their votes count,” she added.

“In places like here in Milwaukee, Harris actually has the advantage. But it is in the rural areas of the state that Trump will probably find his supporters.”

What’s next for the Harris and Trump campaigns?

Harris will make stops in two swing states

The Democrat will travel to the western United States tomorrow, where she will make campaign stops in two swing states. Harris will host events in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, and Phoenix, Arizona.

Mexican groups Mana and Los Tigres del Norte will perform at Harris’ rallies in Las Vegas and Phoenix, respectively, apparently to boost support among Latinos.

Singer Jennifer Lopez would also perform at the Harris rally in Las Vegas. On Sunday, the artist shared Harris’ plan on his Instagram Story to build Puerto Rico’s economy and its energy grid amid backlash over Hinchliffe’s comments.

In the final days of her campaign, Harris relied heavily on celebrities and artists, headlining alongside notable figures like Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Maggie Rogers. Thursday’s event comes just days before early voting in Nevada ends on November 1.

According to a Rolling Stone magazine report, Mexican music has been instrumental in mobilizing Latino voters in swing states. On Thursday, La Original Banda El Limon released a corrido dedicated to Harris, titled “Señora Presidenta.”

Trump visits Nevada and New Mexico

Trump will be in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Henderson, Nev.; and Glendale, Arizona, where he will speak with Tucker Carlson at Desert Island Arena.

Nevada and Arizona are two of seven battleground states that will decide this election.

A recent poll released Tuesday by CNN finds that voters in these two crucial Southwest battlegrounds are undecided about who is the better choice.

Both states are holding early voting, with the poll indicating that 55 percent of likely voters in Arizona and 42 percent in Nevada have already cast their ballots. In both states, more registered Republicans have voted so far than registered Democrats.